Golf Question: What Is Meant When People Talk About A Golf Clubs Bounce?

A) The amount the ball will spring off the club face

B) How much the club will spring up through impact

C) How much the ball will bounce when it lands

D) The angle difference between the front and back edge of a clubs sole

You're Correct!

The bounce angle on a golf club is one of the hidden helpers that allows players to get the ball up and out of bad lies, bunkers and what stops the club digging into the ground!/span>

Bounce angle was introduced into the game by legendary golfer and club pioneer Gene Sarazen. He noticed that the clubs he used when hitting shots from bunkers used to dig into the ground and get stuck, leading to inconsistent shots. He designed a club with a flanged sole. The clubs sole had a leading edge which was higher than the rear. This caused the club to glide up through the sand rather than dig into it. It was so much of a success that he kept its design secret and debuted it at the 1932 Open Championship, which he won!

This difference in height between the leading edge and back edge is known as bounce angle. The more bounce angle a golf club has, the more it will be guided out of the ground as the rear edge steers the club upward.

All clubs have a certain amount of bounce angle but wedges feature the most and the widest variation. Although there are exceptions, people with a very steep angle of attack (diggers) will gain more benefit from a club with more bounce angle. Players who sweep the ball away will gain more benefit from a club featuring less bounce angle.

Wedges with more bounce angle also tend to be less adaptable around the green and off tight lies because of the amount the back edge sits above the front. This will increase the chance of the club bottoming out before the ball and sculling the shot across the green. However, clubs with higher bounce angles tend to be better at getting the ball out of poor lies, clubs with low bounce angles could dig in.

Sorry Try Again! - See Explanation Below

This is known as bottoming out the club too early and is caused by the back edge of the club hitting the ground before the ball. The club then springs upward and skulls the ball across the green.

Sorry Try Again! - See Explanation Below

The amount a ball springs off the club face is known as the trampoline effect rather than bounce. Bounce is only focused on the sole of the club and the impact conditions it creates.

Sorry Try Again! - See Explanation Below

The amount of bounce and roll a golf ball has once it lands is separate than the amount of bounce angle a club has. The bounce is a club design feature that helps millions of golfers across the world every day, often without the players noticing.